Patrick draws on own story to praise Obama

Gov. Deval Patrick drew from his own inspirational story to praise Barack Obama, his friend and political confidant, during a prime-time speech Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention.

But Patrick’s moment in the national spotlight dimmed slightly as neither national broadcast nor cable TV appeared to dedicate time to the speech.

John P. Kelly

As Gov. Deval Patrick laid into Republican presidential nominee John McCain and lavished praise on Barack Obama – the Democrat’s choice, and his friend, political confidant and kindred spirit in many ways – he further cemented a bond that could pay off for Massachusetts down the road, according to a political analyst.

Patrick drew from his own inspirational story to praise Obama during a prime-time speech Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention, holding the Pepsi Center crowd rapt two slots ahead of Sen. Hillary Clinton, the night’s featured speaker. His moment was dimmed slightly, though, by the fact major TV networks didn’t show the speech.

Patrick focused on community building, improving education and building a clean-energy industry. He labeled McCain “more of the same say-one-thing-do-another crowd in the White House today.”

The key roles Patrick and Massachusetts’ Democratic senators, Edward Kennedy and John Kerry, have played in Obama’s campaign could add to the state’s Washington cachet under an Obama administration, political analysts said.

Jennifer Duffy, with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, said any state benefits from having an ally in the White House.

“There’s no doubt that Patrick would have the ear of a President Obama,” she said.

Patrick is one of Obama’s earliest and most fervent supporters, starting with his enthusiastic endorsement last October before thousands on Boston Common.

The similarities between the two men are well known and often repeated: young, black, Harvard-educated lawyers, progressive in their politics and graceful in their speech.

Tuesday night Patrick said Obama would “fix and fund” No Child Left Behind and strengthen the country’s education system.

He contrasted the comfort his daughter Katherine experienced through high school graduation with his own upbringing on Chicago’s South Side, poor and attending overcrowded and violent schools.

“One generation and the circumstances of my life and family were profoundly transformed,” Patrick said. “That is the American story.”

Such American success stories are growing more rare, he said, with poor families “in terrible shape” and the middle class “one paycheck away, one serious illness away” from poverty.

“Barack Obama understands that we must renew our commitment to the American story today,” Patrick said.

The day had been busy for Patrick, who returned to Massachusetts the previous night with Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray and Sen. John Kerry to attend the Tuesday morning funeral of a Mashpee soldier, Army Pfc. Paul E. Conlon, who was killed this month in Afghanistan.

Mitt Romney, Massachusetts’ former Republican governor, appeared at the Denver convention center as well, to the astonishment of some there.

“We’d still be the land of liberty and a great nation, but I’m afraid that the policies of Barack Obama would make America a weaker nation,” Romney told the national press corps. “Weaker economically, weaker in terms of our national security.”

John P. Kelly may be reached at jkelly@ledger.com.

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